I do not remember how many weeks have passed since we have not been in the mountains…or maybe there are even months. It seems that we focused on working instead of doing what we really enjoy. Yes, we were busy: we purchased a nice townhouse, Florin passed several exams…but without doing what you really like, it doesn’t seem enjoyable what you accomplish. It is middle of May and the spring is struggling to show its face. The trees’ buds are about to explode, but the temperature is still under 0 degrees C during the night time. I have not seen buds as determined as in Canada; the summer is too short and they have to bud at the right time, not too soon and not to late, and further on to rush and grow, because they have only around three months to do so. Another lesson of surviving: all at their time!

Sunday we headed toward the mountains. For our first hiking trip in 2009 we chose a top from “K country” or Kananaskis National Park or our “playground”, one our driving from Calgary. We met our friends from CARA, which we have not seen for a long time. Old Baldy has an easy route, good enough for a spring warm up. We left the cars at Boundary Ranch parking lot – a horse farm, which has an appreciate restaurant,which we have not tried it yet.

Old Baldy Peak

The weather forecast was favorable, around 20 degrees C, but I did not think it was above 12. We wasted around one hour looking for the trailhead. The peak seems to be popular and therefore there are many trails, especially for horse riding, and we could not decide which one to follow. A “dizzy” old woman, from the horse farm, provided us with some advices and we considered them…for 30 seconds, until we realized: “since when do we listen to an old woman who puffs from a cigarette?”. The trailhead must be somewhere around here. We walked a bit on a road in both directions, but no luck. Finally, we gave up to the search and we headed upward, anyway we were going that way: through forest, bushes, snow…there was still enough. In the end we were above the tree line and we were able to see Nakiska Ski Resort, the host of Winter Olympic Games from 1988. Obviously, it did not operate at that time of the year, but there was plenty of snow on the slopes. We did not find a path, only some vague trails, anyway we had to reach the rim, with or without the path.

On the rim the wind was blowing. Until then it was ok, on the way up and under the sun’ warm rays, but the wind forced us to put more layers on. Despite the wind, the trip became more pleasurable…the scenery on the both sides for sure has helped. This part of the trip was enjoyable, the snow was just firm enough for walking on it. We took many pictures.

We reached the final slope toward the top. I stopped here and the other three went up. I found a warm mossy spot without being covered with snow. I have been longing for this moment for so long!

I was talking few days ago with a friend, which asked me why do I stop close to the mountain top, when it is so reachable? Is not the top the final destination, the reason why I hike? I told him: No! I do not hike to bag another peak or as some announced, to “conquer” a peak (what a capitalistic phrase). I go hiking for the journey itself, for experiencing the nature from the first step on the trail until the last step to the car. I do not have to conquer anything, to prove to somebody, only my love and respect for the nature. If I reach the top or not, is less important, as long as I find what I look for: the peaceful within! Some people go to church, other meditate or follow other ways to make peace with them. I go hiking. As often we go hiking in a group, I like to stop near the top (obviously that everyone wants to reach the top, isn’t it?) and I spend and hour with myself, until the others come down; just me and the sea of mountains around me, in an absolute silence, disturbed only by wind or a flying bird.

How much have I lingered for this moment! Here I completely forget of the phone existence, which rings continuously while I am at work. I forget of e-mails that arrive faster than I have time to read them. I forget about the mortgage, the thousands of kilometers that separates me from the loved ones, the injustices, the mischievousness and tumultuousness of each day, the individual’s struggle to ”climb” on society ladder and to be better then your neighbor. What sense do these make here? Here, on the mountain, I can be myself, a pile of atoms that has the chance to live this moment, but only for a brief period. Me, a pile of atoms, sprouted from this wonderful earth, and with each moment passed, closer to my return to it. What a marvelous thing is life, what a superb chance to be alive!

I fell asleep in the wind and under the sun. Am I dreaming or I am on the mountain for real? It is quiet…it seems that I can hear the spring arriving through the valleys and peaks. If I were in the forest I might have heard the sap running through the trees. How much life there is in these forests! And how much we struggle to ignore it! Maybe the nature would be more closely monitored and respected if it paid income taxes and other duties. For how we treated in the last decades, the nature is close to bankruptcy. So far the nature only provides us and we destroy and ignore it…but only to one day!

Finally, my friends are coming down. We had a snack, a look on left and right to fill our soul with mountains’ energy and we started the descent.

The descent is very nice and childish, sliding on pants. A plastic lid or a plastic bag would have been even better. The Gore-Tex was just fine too!

The way through the woods proved to be longer than we remembered being on the way up. How significant was the morning enthusiasm! We arrived at the car and started to plan for the next week…only the weather to be favorable…and it was: Mount Howard!